Machine for melting snow.



No. 636,987. Patented Nbv. l4, I899.

A. B. HENDRYX.

MACHINE FOR MELTING SNOW.

(Applicvltion filed Feb. 27, 1899.).

(No Model.)

we No ms versus ca. mom-mum 'wasnmarou, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

ANDREW B. HENDRYX, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

MACHINE FOR MELTING SNOW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,987, dated November 14, 1899.

Application filed February 27, 1899. $erial No. 706,920. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW B. HENDRYX, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Oonnecticut,have invented a new Improvement in Snow-Melters; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connectionjwith the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be afull,clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a side view of a machine con structed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a top or plan view of the same; Fig. 3, a plan view of a section of the plow enlarged.

My invention relates to an improvement in snow-melters. Various machines for this purpose have been devised, in some of which the snow is carried by an elevator into a tank and there melted, and in others a flame has been directed upon the surface of the snow, so as to melt it; but in the former case a large amount of water must be disposed of, and,as is well known, a high degree of heat is required to melt a mass of confined snow. In the latter case the flame upon the surface of the snow will melt the top and the water soaking into the snow will so pack it as to prevent its rapid melting.

As is well known, on the Pacific coast a pcculiar condition of atmosphere exists at times, and one in which, although the temperature is not high, snow rapidly disappears, and not alone by melting, but more particularly by vaporizing, as a large amount of snow will disappear and cause only a perceptible flow of water therefrom.

The object of this invention is to produce a device in which air may be so mingled with the heat as to reproduce the atmospheric conditions of the Pacific slope; and it consists in the construction hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

As herein shown, the device is mounted on a platform A, suitably mounted on an axle B, with two wheels 0 O, and supported at its forward end by small wheels D D, and adapted to be forced forward by the handle E at the rear. Such an arrangement might be conveniently used for clearing sidewalks or streets, but for railway uses the device would be mounted on a suitable platform adapted to be run upon the tracks, or the device might be arranged to be moved by horsepower.

Upon the platform is mounted a gasolenetank F and a compressed-air tank G, the latter being adapted to be filled by a pump H or other convenient source under comparatively high pressure. Connected to the gasolene-tank F is also a pump 1, by which the gasolene is forced through a pipe F into a tank F, from whence it issues through pipes a into cross-tubes b, more or less in number and herein shown as three, each of which is provided with a series'of burners c. From the airtank G pipes d lead to transverse tubes e, arranged intermediate of the burnertubes b and just at the rear thereof, and these pipes are perforated in line between the burner-tubes b and so that air may escape between them and pass outward between the burners. Each burner-tube b is controlled by a valve having a lever f extending outward from one side, which levers are connected with rods 9, extending rearward to a point convenient to the operator and so that the burners may be turned on or off, as desired.

Secured to the platform and projecting forward from each side thereof are arms h,which carry a plow consisting of a series of longitudinally-arranged fingers j, slightly separated from each other, so as to leave spaces between them, and slightly sharpened at their outer ends, which are inclined downward. This plow may be adjusted by set-screws k, which extend through the frame and into engagement with the rear end of the arms h, whereby the outer end of the plow may be raised or lowered.

It will be understood that the pipes leading from the gasolene and air tanks are provided with suitable valves and regulators, as usual in machines of this character.

In operation the device is moved forward slowly, and the plow lifting the snow from the ground presents it in front of the air-tubes e, and the air issuing from the pipes 6 passes through the flame and is raised to a high temperature. The amount of air is regulated as required, so as to produce the peculiar atmospheric condition required to partially vaporize the snow, as well as to convert it into water. As the snow melts the water will descend and escape through the plow, and so as not to pack the snow and increase the difficulty of melting. It will thus be seen that the heat is not directed downward upon the top of the snow, but transversely against it and so that the melting takes place near the ground, as well as upon the mass above it, and that the melting is not caused so much by the direct action of the flame as it is by the high temperature of the air, which is forced into the snow under high pressure.

It will be understood from the foregoing that the arrangement and location of the tanks may be varied without departing from my invention, and I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to the exact construction shown; but,

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a snow-melter, the combination with two or more transversely-arranged gas-tubes, each of which is provided with a series of forwardly-projecting horizontal burners, of an air-tube arranged in rear of and independent of the gas-tubes, and having a dischargeopening in line between but in rear of the outer ends of the burners and in the direction thereof, and means for supplying gas to the burners and compressed air to the air-tubes, substantially as described.

2. The combination with two or more transversely-arranged bu rner-tubes having burners projecting forwardly therefrom, air-tubes arranged adjacent to, in rear of, and between said burnertubes, and having dischargeopenings in line between and in rear of the outer ends of the said burners, means for supplying gas to the said burners and compressed air to said tubes, regulating-valves for the said burners, and a plow projecting forward and downward from the frame below said burners, and comprising a series of longitudinally-arranged parallel bars with spaces between them, substantially as described.

3. In a snow-melter, the combination with two or more transversely-arranged gas-tubes, of an air-tube arranged in rear of and independent of the gas-tubes, and having discharge-openings in line between but in rear of the said gas-tubes, and means for supplying gas to the gas-tubes and compressed air to the air-tube, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANDREIV B. IIENDRYX.

Witnesses:

EDWARD N. PEoK, FERDINAND A. WAGNER. 

